Tuesday, 5 August 2008

There's just something about watching tropical fish go about their business in a good aquarium that makes them a joy to have around. The graceful movements, beautiful colors and serene waters all combine to make the experience pleasurable.

Considering the advantages of this type of pet other some others, it's a good idea to treat the investment in them well. So, making sure to be well informed about choices for fish and aquariums will be important.

Whether you want to set up an aquarium for home or office use, how to go about it will largely depend on the type and size of fish you intend to stock. No matter the choices, however, there are some things to do and some to avoid that can greatly impact the aquarium.

Things to consider before buying an aquarium include:

* Size desired. This will largely be determined by how much space you can set aside for a tank. Remember in a lot of cases you'll need a power supply nearby, so keep this in mind as well.

* Safe location. A fish tank shouldn't be placed where it could easily be knocked over, where the fish will be disturbed by major outside interference or where wandering little hands, or cats can stalk. With this in mind, keep tanks out of direct sunlight and in secured locations.

* Types of fish. Make sure you understand what you want to buy fish wise. Some species will require more space than others. Also, some species simply don't mix. You'll find it's not only a dog-eat-dog world, but also a fish-eat-fish one if you don't plan accordingly.

When it comes to choosing tropical fish, do your homework. This means researching the different types of fish available, what size tanks they need and the kinds of environments they thrive in. Also, look for information on suitable companion fish and the kinds of special requirements these may have as well.

If you don't know what you're doing, check with the shop where you intend to buy the tropical fish first. Even if it's an online shop, there should be a way to speak with pros before you invest in fish and a tank.

Once you've determined the space you have, some desired fish and a good location for an aquarium, it's time to start shopping. Bear in mind that an aquarium is simply the holder for the fish and there's a lot more that goes into creating the right environment for them. Check with the pros about oxygenation systems, filters, any salinity requirements, specialized chlorine removal, if necessary, and so on.

Tropical fish can be a great investment. They can make good starter pets for youngsters and they can deliver a lot of enjoyment to any home they are in. But, like any pet, they require some care to thrive. An aquarium is an investment as are tropical fish. Making sure that investment is protected is smart. To do so, some basic knowledge will be necessary. Don't forget to rely on the pros if you don't know how to proceed.

Your new aquarium is ready, so did you think about what kind of fish food your new fish will eat? If you are not careful, you could be doing permanent damage to your new pets. The danger comes not only with giving them the wrong type of food, but also how it can affect the delicate balance of the aquarium ecosystem.

The first thing you must think about is knowing what type or species your fish belongs to. Don't skimp on research in this area. If you have this information down, then finding the proper fish food will be much easier. One of the basic things to know is whether or not your fish are carnivores, herbivores, or omnivores. There are fish that can feed on algae flakes and who would not touch something like shrimp flakes. These are your herbivores, and they will also eat things like vegetable pellets, vegetable flakes and spinach. Carnivores like to feast on worms and small insects. Omnivores will eat almost any fish diet, but they prefer their food still moving.

Did you know that fish are very similar to human beings? Not quite like in the movie "Finding Nemo," but they need a balanced diet also.

So what is the most important part of a fish's diet? You guessed it, protein. Look for those foods that have fishmeal or shrimps on the label. Fat should be the lowest nutrient on the fish food label. Too much and they can have their liver damaged. A bit of fiber is also fine. Again, with all of this, keep in mind what type of basic food your fish eat.

The size of the aquarium or fish tank can have a role in what type of fish food you use. In general, a larger tank will have larger fish, so maybe flakes are not the best choice. In a very small tank with smaller fish, a pellet may not work that great. If you are feeding flakes to your fish, only give them a pinch at a time. If they are able to gobble them up right away, then give them another pinch. Whatever food that isn't eaten will drop to the bottom of the tank and start making the aquarium water dirty. Do not overfeed your fish. They do tend to recognize the person who normally feeds them so they might try and eat every time you give them food.

Keep an eye on the expiration dates that are on the fish food packages. You wouldn't feed food that is past it's freshness date to your family, and the same is true for all of your pets.

Although fish flakes are one of the more common foods, there are pellets and floating stick foods, as well as freeze-dried foods and blood worms. Yummy!

As you go and get a snack for yourself, remember to think about your fish and what type of fish food to give them. Remember the most important rule though, don't over feed them.

Sunday, 3 August 2008

Goldfish are wonderful pets and a joy to behold. Watching them swim around the tank can give an unexplainable tranquility. That’s why it is important to provide them with a good and safe environment. In this article, you will learn how you can maintain a perfect tank for your lovely, golden, swimming pets.

Make sure the aquarium is large enough for the goldfish to move freely. The ideal measurement of your fish tank must be 24 inches by 24 inches by 10 inches. Of course, this depends on how many fish you want to keep and if you are planning on more than one fish, you should plan on 5 gallons of tank space for every inch of fish. Make sure that you have 2 inches of sand or round gravel at the bottom of the aquarium.

Remember that tap water is not safe for your fish. Treating the tap water with water conditioner is one way to make the water safer, but many aquarium enthusiasts like to use bottled water. Never use distilled water or ionized water. When you add water to your aquarium, either when setting it up or when doing partial water change, make sure the sand or gravel is not disturbed. Always cover your aquarium making sure that dirt and other unnecessary objects will not get into your aquarium.

Goldfish are hardy, but also can pollute their water very fast so it is important to do partial water changes periodically. Every couple of weeks, or at least once a month is recommended.Pour out only 20 -25% of the water and replace it with fresh water. Be careful not to stress out the fish too much during this process and be sure not to capture any in the water you are changing out!

When you first set up your tank, it will be clean and clear, but after several weeks, algae will start to conquer your fish tank. This algae can be green, brown or red and sometimes may even be black. To get rid of the algae, you will need to scrub down the tank and all the decorations inside.

Do not use hard scrubbing pads. Soft pads will help keep your tank from getting scratched - especially if you have an acrylic aquarium.. Scrub all the sides the front the back and the two ends. You will need to use some elbow grease and scrub the glass back in forth many times until it is clean. Scrub everything in your fish tank including the filters and other objects as well. It is not necessary to remove them in their tank for cleaning unless it is already really scummy and dirty. Then rinse everything thoroughly.

Remember never to use soap, chlorine or bleach to clean anything in your aquarium.

If you need to remove the goldfish for cleaning, do so carefully and make sure you have a safe place with good water to put them in. Put them back in their tank as soon as possible.

Sunday, 6 July 2008

According to one source, more than 60 million people around the world keep aquariums for fun or profit. These can range from a small glass desktop model to a multi-ton commercial design that is part of a museum or water park tour. Most homeowners, however, are looking for a conveniently sized aquarium that will mesh with their lifestyle without causing much extra work or expense. Here are some things to keep in mind when you shop for a home or office aquarium.

1. How much space do you have? The size of aquarium you decide to purchase will be based on the amount of area you can afford to designate to this area. You might have just enough space on a bookshelf for a glass or heavy plastic globe that can be easily cleaned and managed. Or you might want to fill in space behind an office wall with a room-size aquarium. There are table models and stand-alone designs that can fit into a corner or become the center of attention in any room. Keep in mind that along with space considerations, you will need to allocate resources to clean and care for your new aquarium.

2. How much time can you spare? If you love pets and don’t mind caring for your fish, the bigger, the better might be your motto for choosing an aquarium. But if you want a fish tank that can pretty much take care of itself except for those routine cleanings on a weekly or monthly basis, you want may want scale down your plan to purchase a fish bowl that is easy to manage. Keep in mind that you also will need to purchase cleaning supplies and restocking items as part of an ongoing care program for your aquarium.

3. How much does an aquarium mean to you? Do you want to set up an attractive display to incite casual interest, or do you plan to spend time each day watching your fish and other aquarium creatures as a means of enjoyment or relaxation? If the former, choose a basic set-up that will not be difficult to manage. But if the latter, you may want to add colorful sand, shells, pebbles, and plants to make your ecosystem attractive and functional. Your aquarium can become a creative endeavor when you have the time to spend with it.

4. How much help will you get? If you are the main person who will be responsible for checking, cleaning, and maintaining the aquarium, give some thought to your schedule, your priorities, and your reason for having an aquarium. If it will not play much of a role in your daily routine, don’t spend a lot of money for a system that you may not have the means to enjoy.

A fish tank can add pleasure and beauty to your surroundings. Remember that fish and other aquarium creatures need special attention to keep them healthy and thriving. Size your aquarium system accordingly.

Thursday, 22 May 2008

Buying the right aquarium fish for your tank is key to the success of your aquarium. When selecting fish, you may not simply be able to pick out the fish that catch your eye in the pet store as not all fish can live in the same environment. Additionally not all fish get along with each other so you will have to be careful to choose the types of fish that are compatible.

If all this seems like hard work, don’t worry, you will soon become familiar with the types of tropical fish that work well in your tank and even have some favorites that you like to keep. When choosing fish for your aquarium, here’s some tips to keep in mind:

1. Fish appearance. Observe the particular fish you are interested in carefully to make sure he is active and swimming around properly. Make sure his fins are not chewed and he doesn’t have any growths or white fuzzy patches.

2. Tank condition. Dealers tanks can have parasites and disease that might not be apparent in your fish right away so you need to observe the other fish in the tank and take a good look at the tank conditions. Is the tank clean? If not that is an indication that the dealer probably doesn’t care for the tanks well. Make sure the other fish in the tank are alert and swimming around actively. Avoid buying a fish from a tank that has dead fish floating in it. Even if your fish appears to be healthy, he could already be infected with something that might not show up until days after you get him home. By then it might be too late and you could risk infecting your other fish.

3. Water Conditions. The condition of your water is important as well as the number of fish you already have in the tank. If your water condition is poor then adding more fish will just make things worse and endanger the health of all the fish in the tank. Also, you should be careful not to overload your tank with too many fish as this will cause stress on all the fish as well as cause your water quality to degrade. The general rule of thumb for freshwater tropical fish tanks is 1 inch of fish per gallon of water. If you add too many, you will have to spend more time changing the water and will need really good filtration in order to keep your tank healthy.

4. Water Temperature. Not all tropical fish like the same temperature water. While most will do well with temps in the mid 70’s some do better in cooler waters while others like it on the warm side.

5. Fish size. Before you buy a new fish you might want to find out how big he can be expected to eventually grow. Since your tank can support about 1 inch of fish per gallon, you wouldn’t want to put a fish that might grow to 5 inches in your 5 gallon tank or he might be the only one you can have!

6. The type of fish. Is your new fish aggressive or does he play well with others? Is he OK being the only one of his kind in the tank or will he do better in a school. Make sure you only put fish that will get along in the tank or the more aggressive fish will pick on the others. Also, some fish are territorial and you should only keep one per tank.

7. The food. Find out what type of food your new fish likes to eat. Most eat flakes, but some like freeze dried worms or other types of food. When you bring home your new fish be sure to also take home some of his favorite dinner.